Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Hosting rival Beloit in the home opener of the 2025 season, the Concordia baseball team swept the Trojans 8-1, 5-1.
Beloit would find itself on the board first, thanks to two hits and a hit by pitch from Panther pitcher Drake Blochlinger. Blochlinger would regain his composure and pick up three straight outs to close out the top of the first.
After picking up two straight outs to start the bottom of the first, Ayden Krier got walked, before Parker Jackson hit a two run home run to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Chane Parker would pick up a base hit before the inning ended.
After two three-up-three-down innings for both teams, the Panthers got on the board again with Jackson and Parker scoring, thanks to good base running and Trojan defensive struggles.
The Panthers piled on in the fifth inning, with Blochlinger and Boone Richard scoring at the top of the order, before Parker and Koehn Williams scored with two outs. Two more hits were secured by the Panthers before the inning was over. With the Panthers leading 8-1 and a three-up-three-down seventh inning, the Panthers took game one.
Blochlinger picked up the win on the mound with one run allowed on four hits with four strikeouts.
Parker and Jackson each had two runs scored on a combined three hits.
Krier, Blochlinger, Richard, and Williams scored the other runs on a combined five walks.
In game two, the Panthers won 5-1.
The Panthers scored first, picking up one run in the second inning. Parker got a base hit before stealing second, and an error on the throw let Parker score to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning the Panthers scored two more runs after picking up two outs. Blochlinger got walked and two errors allowed him to score. Richard was able to get into scoring position thanks to the errors, and was knocked in by Krier.
Beloit would get on the board in the fourth inning, thanks to a Panther hit-by-pitch and a passed ball, before Jackson got three straight strikeouts.
After two straight outs to start the fifth, Blochlinger and Richard scored once again to put the game 5-1, as the Panthers coasted to the win.
Krier picked up the win with one run allowed on one hit and one walk in three innings with three strikeouts.
Blochlinger and Richard each had two runs scored, with Parker scoring the other run.
Heading north for the season opener, the Panthers demolished the Republic County Buffalos 16-0, 18-0 in a combined six innings.
The Panthers came out of the gates aggressive, picking up a double at the hands of Richard, before a walk to Blochlinger let both baserunners pick up a stolen base. Krier knocked in Richard and Blochlinger stole home. Krier, Jackson and Parker also scored to give the Panthers a quick 5-0 lead.
The beatdown continued in the second inning, with eight Panther runs to push the lead to 13.
Three more runs in the top of the third run-ruled the Buffalos to end game one.
Republic County only had one hit and one walk.
In game two the Panthers won 18-0.
Continuing the momentum from the first game, the Panthers scored seven runs in the top of the first inning, picking up four hits and five walks.
The Panthers pushed the lead to double figures in the second thanks to four runs, with the Buffalos giving Concordia three walks and having a passed ball and an error.
Capping off the offensive masterclass in the third inning, the Panthers tallied seven more runs to complete the sweep in dominating fashion.
Republic County only got on base due to two hit-by-pitches.
Chane Parker a combined five hits, two being doubles, in six at bats for the series.
Richard, Blochlinger, Jackson, and Rush LeDuc each had three hits in the series.
The Panthers were walked 25 times in the two games, and only struck out three times.
